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A Culver City Landmark says goodbye. I regret that my dear Tokyo 7-7 in downtown Culver City is closing their doors this month. Unassuming from the exterior it sits in what was a walkway between Bailians and Main Street. As a little girl I would ride my bike with my friend Kelly Bone to purchase beads from a store on Main Street for our Jewelry business. Afterwards a nice treat to ourselves would be Sunomuno, Miso soup, Beef Teriyaki and Root Beer Floats. I knew after a few times that this was a special place. The owner noticed I had taken out the chopped green onions in my Miso soup, from there on out he would always make mine – without me ever requesting. That is what this place was like, family. The walls were lined with framed autographed cast photos from Movie and Television Series filmed just a few blocks down the street. Culver City was a sleepy town then amidst a big city, Los Angeles.

Joe Cobb was a Culver City fixture. You will recognize him in the pictures as the chubby cheeked little rascal who always whore a beanie cap. He continued living here well after he stared in The Little Rascals which was filmed throughout our town. I remember my Dad pointing him out to me when I was little as we drove in his gold Volvo down Braddock off to Soccer practice. Joe Cobb would walk the city and not once wearing shoes, always had shoes, just not on his feet. [By the way, I loooved this as a kid!] Instead he carried them as he would always remark, “So they won’t get dirty.” His family as he got older paid for his meals so you would see him sitting in Tokyo 7-7 happy as could be.

A non-stop celebration with the genius that is Prince. Picture just after the second encore when he calls Spike Lee, Cornell West, Naomi Campbell, Alicia Keys and Jamie Fox to name a few on stage to dance. Spike was appointed head tambourine player and walked the stage for the rest of the set in full duty mode. Cornell West dropped it low while Naomi flung her hair back and forth as she swayed to the beat. Que Classico!